Heart assist devices are vital devices in patients with end-stage heart diseases when heart muscle contractions are insufficient, and when no respond to medication is possible.
Nowadays, due to coronary heart diseases and infarcts (it is the formation of necrosis as a result of blockage of a coronary artery) tens of thousands of people receive the treatment of heart failure. When the drug treatment is insufficient, a heart transplant comes to the fore. Since finding a donor for a heart transplant is not very easy, heart assist devices kept ready for emergency use have become life-saving. In addition, some heart diseases may lead to heart failure even in newborn infants. For this reason, heart assist devices should be produced in all sizes, including pediatric sizes.
In order to ensure a high quality of life for the heart patients waiting for donor's heart, a number of studies to improve heart assist devices have been made and many different products have been presented to the physicians. Jarvik 2000, Lionheart, Coraide, HeartMate II (Thoratec Corp), Berlin heart and HeartSaver are some of these main products. The latest generation device in this area is DeBakey Heart assist device that has been developed with the help of NASA engineers in the United States by Micromed Company representing new generation devices. The fact that they are small in size and suitable for all ages have made these devices the most ideal for today. In addition, because it requires less invasive surgery, it is a matter of preference for cardiac surgeons as much as for the patients nowadays. Another similar device is the Heart-made heart assist device.
Formerly, balloon pumps inserted into the aorta were used for this purpose. It was intended that the balloon inflating and deflating synchronously with the heart would provide additional acceleration to the blood flow in the aorta. Later, air-driven systems were developed. Compressed air is provided from a compressor and an air tank moving with the patient. By moving back and forth when the compressed air inflates and deflates, the membrane produces a power propelling the blood. After a while, electric motor systems were developed, and these systems were first designed with an electric motor and a snail water turbine adapted to it. There are artificial blood vessels (conduits) entering and leaving the system. One end of the vessel is placed into the heart and the other end into the aortic artery, and when the engine runs, it takes blood from the heart and pumps out into the aorta.
Compressed air systems were annoying as they run loudly. Because the efficiency of the engine was low and the engine volume was large in electric motor systems, it was a problem to install it into the patients. Moreover, considering them as high-energy-consuming systems, they significantly restricted the ability of the patients to move.